Air
by Hyb
Summary: Ive never read/writen a pokemon fanfic b4, but my manga made me do it! Sorta short.. [shounen ai] Ash + Gary ^____^


  
Disclaimers: I. Dont. Own. It.  
  
Its kinda short cuz Im slow at writing, but oh well ^___^  
[shounen ai] [twt] [slight angst?]  
  
  
Air  
  
  
***  
  
  
Sometimes, regardless of your non-exsitant record for being ignorant, you can fail to notice things.  
And with those times your opinion can change about something -or someone- just by that gained   
knowledge. The idea of which you would never have thought twice about before, now can't seem to  
vacate your mind. It seems tempting and you wonder if it is only because of this aquired information,  
or that deep down you have felt this way and never really paid much notice.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Ash stared down at his pillow, wishing it would somehow make him sleepy. But this pillow seemed to be  
immune to his 'psycic' attacks and just lay there. Upon his hotel bed, in his hotel room he shared  
with Brock and Misty.  
  
Psyduck walked out of the bathroom, steam escaping hurriedly around its feet, and a large white towel  
wrapped up like a turbin, sat merrily on its head. It grinned stupidly, squawked in some language  
only a sleepy Pikachu could understand, and waddled around.  
  
"'Bout time!" An aggitated Misty grumbled and stalked into the bathroom to take a bath.  
  
Brock chuckled quietly from atop his own bed, Ranma 1/2 manga fit snug in his lap and manga of other  
unknown titles strewn across his bed sheets. "Hey Ash," he started, still smiling and half reading,  
"Wasn't it weird Gary showed up and watched you battle today?" He flipped through afew pages, laughed  
to himself, and looked up to Ash.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, only slightly paying attention. Starring at his hat was not making him sleepy at  
all either. Bummer.  
  
"Actually, its even more weird that he didn't say anything to you when ya lost, ne?" Brock continued,  
vaguely knowing what he was saying. Not even surprised he was keepig up a one-sided conversation,  
thinking, and reading at the same time.  
  
Ash ended it by not saying anything at all. He was on the verge of forgetting the day's events when  
Brock just went and reminded him. Sending his mind into a pool of confusing thought, maybe even  
though it was nothing at all?   
  
If it was nothing at all, Ash thought to himself, then *why* can't I stop thinking about him?  
  
  
***  
  
  
It was an unfair fight from the start. A small kid, looking to be about 10, had claimed to have just  
recieved his first pokemon afew days before, and challenged Ash to a duel. Since he had not much  
experience in training, the boy purposed that Ash would use any one of his pokemon, and he would use  
his, and Ash's pikachu -since he was so fond of the type.  
  
Ash, being somewhat a sucker, agreed and sent out his bulbasaur.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Ash stared at the small pokemon for a minute, an Eevee. Gary's first pokemon had been an Eevee, he  
thought.  
  
"Hey Ash," the boy, Mark, called out across the clearing, "You ready to fight or what?"  
  
That had awaken Ash with a start, but he was quickly reminded of his task. "Yeah!" he called back and  
motioned for his Bulbasaur to go into the ring.   
  
Misty, Brock, and afew others who'd caught hearing of the fight, had gathered around to watch. Each  
wondering if it really *was* a fair fight, or if this new trainer was just stupid. The spectators  
local to the area knew for a fact Mark was not a 'new' trainer. Infact, he was the youngest boy for  
50 miles that had ever started to train pokemon. 4. That was how old he was when he'd recieved his  
Eevee.  
  
Ash called out attack commands in a line of shouting with a slight slur. Only Bulabasaur, who'd been  
with him for quite a while, was able to determine what exactly the black haired boy was saying and  
executed each attack with defined precision.  
  
With afew razor leaf attacks and a body slam Eevee was down.  
  
"Alright Bulbasaur!" Ash whistled and flashed the victory sign all around, hoping it would reach   
Brock or Misty, for whom it was intended. Eyes prowling over the small crowd he almost missed  
something. Almost.  
  
Across the clearing, leaning against a tree, was Gary, dressed in a casual blue sweater and jeans,   
without his bag of pokeballs. His eyes seemed glazed over, almost bored-like if Ash hadn't known him  
as well as he did. He could tell Gary was paying attention to the battle with complete interest, but  
even more so to *him*.  
  
Both boys' eyesights were locked, neither making any noteable sign of moving, but Ash knew he would  
soon break. He'd never been able to stare at those piercing eyes for too long.  
  
In the ring Bulbasaur was proving to be a formidable opponent for Pikachu, although that would not  
last. With a final attack Pikachu half shocked Bulbasaur and half head butted it. The fight was over.  
  
"Woohoo!" Mark cheered, as did the others around the ring.  
  
Ash looked back to the ring and to his pokemon a little shocked. He didn't know the fight had already  
started -let alone *ended*. He'd... lost.. to his own pokemon. Disappointment growing on his face,  
Ash looked over to Gary. Knowing for certain he'd be mocked to the full extent of Gary's conscience  
-if he even had one.  
  
But, in completing the difficult task of bringing himself to look into those piercing eyes again, the  
only thing he saw was comfort. All other facial features set emotionless, but his eyes smiled at him.  
A shocking yet somehow beautiful sight to Ash.  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"If you can't get to sleep you can read some of my manga." Brock's voice stabbed through thoughts,  
offering... something Ash hadn't quite heard.  
  
"Wha? ..Oh.. Brock, you'd kill me if I crumpled a page." Ash smiled and flopped his body, with some  
unnesccesary force, over so that he was laying on his back on the bed.  
  
Somewhere between the time after that, the lights had slowly faded and Ash was able to fall asleep.  
  



End file.
